The present invention is directed to a fluid tip and air cap assembly which is used in spray guns for spraying fluent material such as liquid paints or powder paints. The fluid tip and air cap assembly, according to the present invention, is suitable for use with a completely pneumatic spray gun or in the alternative, a combination pneumatic and electrostatic spray gun.
In many prior art spray guns, a fluid tip is connected to and extends from the central bore of the main spray gun body. Often, such a fluid tip includes a conical surface adjacent the front of the gun. A separate air cap is mounted over the fluid tip. The air cap is often held by a lock ring or lock nut to the main spray gun body. In some cases, the prior art air caps included an inner conical surface which contacts the conical surface of the fluid tip in an effort to obtain correct alignment.
One of the major problems with prior art spray guns is that the central opening of the air cap must be concentrically aligned with the forwardly extending tip of the fluid tip. In addition, these same two elements must also be axially aligned relative to the longitudinal central axis of the central bore of the spray gun. If either of these alignments is incorrect, a faulty spray pattern results.
Bartling U.S. Pat. No. 1,539,536 discloses the use of interchangeable nozzles which are threaded to the air cap. However, in Bartling as is true with many prior art structures, the fluid tip and the air cap are not connected to one another, thereby providing an opportunity for misalignment.